5 comments/ 15465 views/ 34 favorites A Satyr's Mate Ch. 09-10 By: D_Lynn CHAPTER NINE Back to Normal Lena had decided to call him Faustus. It meant lucky or fortunate. He was indeed that, and proved it many times over with his endless, near-disastrous antics. From nearly falling off the ledge of our picture window onto the rocky slope below, to narrowly escaping Shala's hoof as it swung at his head after he'd tripped her going up the trail. I continually had to stifle my laughter around him as he was almost always in trouble for something. Usually with Shala. But he was so lovable, it was hard for anyone to stay mad for long, and everyone looked out for him. Even Aeron spent more time with him than any other lambkin. I continued to feed him throughout the summer months, although he was coming to need me very little with the greenery in full sprout. Lena and I remained close throughout, and Dolphus provided just the right mix of discipline and structure that neither Lena, nor myself had the heart to invoke. Dolphus and I resumed our active sex life. Not quite as frequent as before our breeding, but still active enough to keep me somewhat satisfied. It wasn't like mating season, though, and I found myself daydreaming about it often. I longed for the frenzied rutting. Being taken over and over until every muscle was aching. But when I tried to discuss it with Dolphus, he turned away from me. He didn't want to mate again. I tried reasoning with him about it. I knew the risk and was more than willing to accept it. But he wasn't. His argument was the same every time. "I can't risk losing you again like that." "You won't be. We'll time it better. Plan for bad weather by getting to Valame's in plenty of time. I want to try again, Dolphus." "Non, Ashira." "What are you going to do, just leave me here alone for the entire season?" That was where his plan had holes. He wouldn't leave me alone during mating season. With twice the number of males to females, it was too risky. "I want to be your mate. For real." "Everyone knows that we are together." "Yes, but I want to make it official. There are still some satyresses who think they stand a chance as long as we haven't produced offspring." "There is one. She will soon shift her focus to another. Sensai is third in ranking and will soon overtake my position." "You mustn't let him do that. You are far stronger and smarter than he. If you won't impregnate me, then how about Lena?" Dolphus growled, tipping his horns in my direction. I'd brought it up several times but he was unwilling to even consider the option. "Why not?" Dolphus sighed. "I don't want Lena. Besides, I highly doubt Aeron would approve." "Aeron? Why would he care? He has Zira, and any other satyress he wants, for that matter. His mating with Lena was an accident, I thought." "No accident." "What do you mean?" "Aeron prefers Lena over all others. Watch him when Lena is near, you will see." "What will I see?" "You will see that he looks at her the way I look at you." With that, Dolphus leaned down and pulled me into a deep kiss, his tongue dancing with mine until my insides melted. "Does he kiss her the way you kiss me?" Dolphus shook his head as his lips sought mine again in a deep, soulful kiss. I reached down to wrap my fingers around his growing cock. His muffled moan in my mouth made me ache for him. I pulled away from our kiss and lowered to my knees, never breaking our gaze. Gripping his cock in my hand, I laved the head with my tongue while he watched. "Ashira..." I smiled at the sound of him growling my name. He had come to enjoy sex as much as I did. I could hardly believe that he'd gone years without it before my arrival, when going without it for a few days now made him a very cranky satyr. I closed my mouth around his cock head and swirled my tongue over his weeping slit. I loved the taste of him. Both at the commencement of our activities, and when he released. I wanted to know what his viable seed tasted like but I knew I would never get the chance. During mating season, he was interested in injecting his seed for one purpose only. To impregnate me. The thought of that sent a rush of arousal to my core and I doubled my efforts in sucking his cock. "You will make me release. Stop, Shi." "I want to taste you." "I want to taste you first. I can smell your arousal and it's maddening." Dolphus lifted me up to my feet and then pushed me backward onto the bed, spreading my thighs in the process. His tongue was delving into my heated flesh before I was settled, like a satyr ravenous for supper after mating season. He'd become so skilled with his tongue, knowing just where to flick it to drive me wild with lust. His lips were always active, too, wagging back and forth like a sheep searching for fresh grass in the snow. My hips bucked off the bed in response as I clawed at his shoulders, the bed covers, his ears; anything within my grasp. He chuckled at me before pinning my wrists to the bed. "Hold still, little one." But I didn't want to hold still, and the more he dominated me like that, the wilder it made me. He knew all that, of course. It was part of our dynamic, what made sex so amazing for both of us. A moment later, my back arched and I was shuddering against his mouth in blissful climax. "Oh, sweet Osmos..." Dolphus released me and climbed up my torso until his cock was swaying inches from my face. "Finish me, Ashira. Now." His commanding voice nearly undid me again. Taking him into my mouth, I licked and sucked furiously. His hips bucked against my face as he unloaded his semen onto my tongue and down my throat with a growl. He collapsed onto the bed beside me, panting for a few minutes. When his normal breathing returned, he rolled onto his side toward me. "Isn't this enough for you, Shi?" "It's not the sex, Dolphus. That part is great. I want little ones. A Faustus of our own." "Osmos help us, the flock can't survive another Faustus." "You know what I mean. I need this, Dolphus. I need to try again. Just once more." "Non, Ashira." "Don't you love me at all?" "Love? What is this word?" "You've never heard it before?" "Non." "It means...It's like when you adore something so much it makes your heart hurt from it. Like I feel about Faustus, like I know you feel about him, too, though you don't show it. It's that feeling that makes you do really stupid things, things you wouldn't ordinarily do." Dolphus frowned as he tucked my hair behind my ear. "Don't you have any word that describes that in your culture?" "Yes. It's called lunacy." "Dolphus!" I shoved his chest with my hand and he subsequently pinned me to the bed. "Nothing is going to change my mind." "You are a stubborn satyr, you know that?" "Everyone knows this. I question your mind that you are just now coming to this conclusion." We wrestled and played until it was time for dinner. That was our routine. The argument changed slightly but the result was the same. August was upon us before I knew it. I could hardly believe I'd been with Dolphus for a year. Dolphus, Aeron, Niro, and Sensai all went to the auction. Another large male Sibian slave was on the docket to be auctioned off and the satyr council was certain they would see the outlaw buyer there. It made me nervous for Dolphus to go to Sibiu, but I squelched my fear as best I could. He misread my emotions and thought that I was missing Sibiu. "I once told you that I would give you the choice to return to a free life. I have not had the opportunity with everything going on. Do you wish to accompany me to Sibiu and stay there with your father?" What he was suggesting was ghastly to me. "No! Why would you even suggest that?" Dolphus was only mildly shocked by my response. "Because Sibiu was your home once." "This is my home. Sibiu...It's just a despicable place full of lies and deception. I never want to go back there." "Not to visit your father?" "Not really. Not unless you're with me." "You could stay for just a short while. Two months, perhaps?" Suddenly, I realized why he was pushing me to go. He wanted me safely tucked away for mating season. "Nice try. I'm not going anywhere, so you best get used to the idea. Quickly, too. Zira believes her season is starting early this year." Dolphus groaned. "I had heard that, too." "I am going to check on Faustus and Lena tomorrow, and then spend the rest of the day outside. The weather has been calm, and I just know that you're going to put me on house arrest after you get back, in time for the season." "You are correct. You must be careful while I am gone tomorrow." "I will. You be careful in Sibiu. I love you, Dolphus." I'd come to tell him often that I loved him. Even if he didn't understand what it meant, it felt good to say it. He never said it back, though, and I tried not to let that get to me. After all, he didn't know it was customary to do so. The band of four satyrs left at dawn and I didn't waste any time getting to the pasture where the satyresses gathered in the late summer. Faustus greeted me first, with Lena right behind him. He'd stopped feeding the month before but would continue to stay with the females through his second season. Then he would be off with the bachelors until he bred in his sixth year. Once he left the satyress grouping, I would likely not see him very much. My heart ached at the thought. While I could see some of Lena in him, the older he got, the more Faustus favored Aeron. It was hard to remember how small he'd been once. He was going to be an impressive satyr someday. I spied Shala across the field. She was chastising a young buck for something. She liked to do that a lot. She was twice as bossy as all the other satyresses combined. It was rumored that she was even worse during mating season. It made sense that Dolphus was not attracted to her in the least. He would never stand for being told what to do at any time, but especially not during season. The grouping migrated to the lower pasture, with Lena and I lagging behind. "You seem sad today, Lena. Why?" "Aeron gone to Sibiu." "I understand. Dolphus is with him." Aeron and Lena's connection had become common knowledge. It was beyond anyone's comprehension since Lena was so young and much lower ranking, but attraction was difficult to explain. It was also impossible to argue with. "You are speaking less backward since you've been spending time with Aeron. Can you tell?" Lena shrugged and shook her head. "I not tell difference." She didn't have all the words right, but at least her nouns and verbs were in the right order. It was sometimes difficult to decipher what a satyr was saying. Loomis was the worst, in contrast with Aeron and Dolphus, who both possessed excellent verbal skills. It was imperative to their roles in the flock because they often interacted with humans. A yelp, followed by falling rock caught our attention. Lena and I rushed to the edge of the landing, fully expecting Faustus to be dangling by his fingertips. When I realized what had happened, I had to turn my back to stifle my laugh. It was Shala this time who'd lost the scuffle. She'd tumbled to a narrow landing several feet down the cliff face. She was spitting mad, too. She clamored to gain purchase so she could climb back up, but was having a hard time of it with all the loose rock. She was maybe a foot short of reaching the lip that would get her up. Faustus was reaching for her, but each time he extended his hand, loose rock showered Shala. I spotted a narrow opening to one side that was ideal for climbing up and down. If one was human, that is. A satyr's wide hips would not fit through it, not even an adolescent or a satyress. I debated on whether or not to do it. Shala hadn't given me any trouble since mating season, so we were in a ceasefire, of sorts. Season was upon us, though, and I'd caught her eyeing Dolphus on more than one occasion. I knew she was about to make her move again, so I really didn't want to help her. On the other hand, I couldn't just let her stay there. I sighed heavily as I knew what I needed to do. Lowering myself to the ground, I slipped my feet into the crevasse and eased myself between the stones until I was standing beside Shala. "Need a hand?" Shala hissed at my little joke. As she was about to retort, an arrow slung past us, narrowly missing her shoulder. We both crouched down and turned toward where it originated. We could easily hear movement, but the aggressors were hidden from view. I called out toward the bushes where I was certain they were hiding. "Who's out there?" I heard whispers and more rustling. "Number Four?" I recognized Number Two's voice from the auction. "What are you doing? Why did you just shoot an arrow at us?" "I wasn't shooting at you." Shala gasped and then bit her lip. For the first time, she actually looked humble. "Get out of the way." I stood up. "No! Why are you attacking satyrs? They haven't done anything to you. And this is a satyress. You can't go around killing females. You'll exterminate the entire species that way, you know that." "We need to eat." "Look, I get it, but there's a lot of other animals out there. Hunt something else." Number Two stepped from the bushes and approached the area where we were standing. "What are you doing up here?" I suddenly felt very defensive. "I live here." Number Two studied me up and down and it occurred to me that I probably was quite a sight to him, standing there naked with my hands on my hips. "You're here by choice?" I wasn't sure how I could explain my situation without going into every event that had occurred in the past year, so I simply shrugged my shoulders. "Sort of." "Come with us. We can protect you." "I don't need protection. Who are you people? What are you doing?" "It's none of your affair." "It is when you hunt and kill satyrs. Who do you work for? What are you after?" "You don't need to know. It has nothing to do with your...your..." "Flock." "Yeah, so just forget you saw us." He turned to retreat back into the wooded area. I wasn't satisfied with his answers but I couldn't think of anything to say to get him to stop and talk to me. "Stop hunting satyrs!" I waited for a response, but got none. It was sort of silly of me to yell out like that. I'm sure there were a dozen more intelligent things I could've said, but it was all I could think of at that moment. Besides, as bold as I probably appeared on the outside, I was actually a bit scared. I turned toward Shala who was still cowering on her haunches. She stared up at me with wide eyes. "Come on. They're not going to shoot at us again. Not today, anyway." I boosted her up so she could reach the ledge and then slithered into the crevasse to shimmy my way up the same way I came down. Shala had joined the group and was recounting the scene to them. I shuddered when I realized that Dolphus would likely hear it from someone else before I got the chance to tell him. I knew he wouldn't be happy. *** "What were you doing on that ledge in the first place?" "I was helping Shala, actually." "I've never known Shala to need assistance." "She fell over the ledge when Faustus butted her. It was an accident, he didn't mean it." "Why didn't you boost her up right away so you both could run? Why did you feel it necessary to engage them in conversation?" "I don't know. I was afraid they'd notice Faustus on the top ledge and shoot at him. I wanted to divert their attention." Dolphus shook his head. "Where does this uncommon bravery come from? You could have been killed, Ashira." "So could Faustus. Or Lena. Or Shala. Any one of us. Anyway, they weren't aiming for me. They even said so. Humans don't eat humans." "They do if they get hungry enough. You mustn't trust this band of humans." "I don't. Are you done lecturing me? What did you discover at the auction?" "Very little. The large slaves that we had our eyes on all went to the mines." "The mines? How many?" "Four in all. Three of them were rather large males." "The miners barely have enough money for one or two slaves per auction, and only if they are fairly reasonably priced. Could the mining organization be in on it?" "Perhaps. Maybe not on the plan as a whole, but they could've cooperated during this auction only. Maybe in exchange for free slaves." "Slave number two asked me to join them. He said they could protect me. What do you suppose he meant by that? The only person I need protecting from would be Grachhus. If they worked for him, that wouldn't make sense at all." "He likely thought you needed protecting from us. From me." "Oh! I hadn't considered that. You could be right. Too bad he didn't just answer my questions." "Did you really yell, 'stop hunting satyrs' at them?" I nodded, my cheeks heating in embarrassment. "You are never going to hear the end of that, you realize." "Well then, I guess it's a good thing that I won't be going out in public for awhile." *** Dolphus tried to keep a safe distance while I was holed up in the domicile. He spent hours pacing a perimeter around the front entryway, afraid of how he'd react to my scent when season began. I knew we were within a day of it happening when I heard the clanking of sparring horns from the window. The males were restless, signaling that everything was about to change. I was restless, too. Dolphus hadn't touched me sexually since he'd returned from Sibiu and I was about to lose my mind. I felt I might go mad if he somehow managed to refrain from mating with me. I felt it the very second it moved in. I can't describe how I did it, my body just suddenly felt feverish all over. Dolphus was outside, and when I stepped through the entryway, he was nowhere in sight. I remembered the year before and suddenly a plan took shape. There was more than one way to lure a satyr into mating. If he wouldn't come by invitation, maybe jealousy would drive him to me. I headed down the path to Sibiu where I knew bachelor satyrs gathered. There was bound to be a few sparring. At least I hoped they were there because I needed them for my plan to work. "Ashira, where are you going?" I didn't bother to look back at Dolphus. I probably wouldn't be able to see him, anyway. He wouldn't dare come that close to me. "I need fresh air." "Get back to the domicile." I ignored him and kept walking. I didn't have to look to know he was following me. I also didn't have to go far because on the path in front of me was two sparring bachelors. I only paused for a second before approaching them. They picked up my scent and snorted their approval, their horns coming together in a loud clap one last time before the closest one made a break for me. I wasn't exactly expecting him to do that. I thought they'd spar some more, giving Dolphus the chance to sweep me away. I screeched as the young satyr was about to reach where I was standing. In response, he locked his knees, his hooves sending rock and dirt flying in my direction. When the satyr's chin lifted, his gaze fixing on something taller behind me, I knew in an instant that it was Dolphus. Fierce, deafening growls filled the space around me. My bones trembled uncontrollably. I was in the middle of a three-way fight that I'd started because of my foolishness. I silently prayed to Osmos to get me out alive as the beasts closed in on both sides of me. It went on for several long minutes. Growling, pawing, hissing, but no sparring. No hitting, no yelling, no one throwing anyone else off the path. Finally the noises stopped. I opened my eyes to see what had happened but was quickly and roughly shoved face-first to the ground and mounted. A Satyr's Mate Ch. 09-10 Right there in front of the two younger satyrs, Dolphus mercilessly assaulted me from behind. My back arched, my insides quivering with delight. It was just as good as I remembered and I sung out in glee at the top of my lungs. Moments later, Dolphus injected me with his seed for the first time. I was triumphant. ******** CHAPTER TEN A Second Chance Our shared celebration over my impregnation was short-lived. Dolphus wasn't happy with me over what I'd done. Within an hour of our successful breeding, he was out the door, not to return until the following afternoon. It was the start of a very rocky time for us. For months, we tried to ignore that anything was wrong. We went on like usual. Flock business. Planning with Valame. It turned out that my father was a regular visitor of Valame's. They split their time fairly equally between his domicile in town, and hers at the base of Saia Heights. It made sense, both of them being Baltian. I'd come to think of her like a mother, so the match felt right to me. I was happy for my father. For both of them. They seemed genuinely happy. Not just going through the motions. Things finally came to a head in late November. With the induction approaching, we were both on edge. "What do you think of the name Titus?" Dolphus shrugged his shoulders as he continued to stare out the window. "Vitus? You know, meaning 'life'." I got no response from him. "Cato?" I was growing tired of being ignored. "Are you going to help me with the name or not?" Dolphus turned toward me, his face expressionless. It was like talking to a wall. "Answer me. Yell at me. Do something, for Osmos' sake. I can't stand being ignored." "What do you want from me, Ashira?" "I want you to be a part of this. We've been walking around on eggshells for my entire pregnancy and I can't take it anymore. I can't do this by myself. I need you, Dolphus." "I'm right here." "No you're not. You're out there somewhere. You've been there since I got pregnant. Look, I'm sorry how it happened. I didn't want to trick you into this. I'm not sorry that we're going to have a lambkin, though. Are you?" Dolphus sighed and shook his head. "Non, little one." "Then what's wrong? Talk to me, Dolphus. Because if something does go wrong, I'd hate for this to be how we spent our last days together." "How can you be so cavalier about your own death? Can't you understand how much that hurts me? I don't want to lose you, Shi." "You didn't lose me last time and you're not going to this time, either. It will work out. We know so much more than we did before. We're all ready for this." "I want to share in your optimism. It's just difficult for me." "I don't need your optimism. I have enough for both of us. What I do need is your love. I need a reason to keep fighting when the pain gets to be too much. Can you give me that much?" Dolphus pulled me into his arms, kissing and nuzzling the top of my head. He reached down to stroke my belly and received a kick to his palm. "Seems that someone is on your side." "Of course he is. We're going to win this time." *** On our way down to Valame's, we stopped at our usual spot. It wasn't so much to catch my breath this time. I was in better physical condition and less pregnant than the year before, and the weather was nicer because winter hadn't set in, yet. "I think now is a good time for this." "For what?" "I want to show you something." Dolphus helped me off the path and down into a ravine that quickly turned into a creek bed. It was mostly surrounded by rock, but along one side of the creek was a soft area. Tucked away toward one end was a stack of rocks that had obviously been placed there on purpose. "What is that?" Dolphus' face turned somber. He took my hand in his as we approached the rocks. "It is where I buried our son." He'd never told me what he did with the body, and I didn't ask. In fact, we'd never discussed what happened that day. "What did he look like?" "Much like me. His hair a tad darker, maybe." "How did he ... Did he suffer at all?" "Non. It was quick. He wasn't even conscious when it happened." Dolphus pulled me against his side as I shuddered. "I'm sorry you had to go through that." "I wasn't alone, Shi. You went through it, too, you just don't remember all of it." "I've never thanked you." "For what?" "For everything. You've saved my life more times than I can count. I owe you so much." "Non. Come. We must get going. You need your rest for tomorrow." *** From the beginning, everything was different and I took that as a good sign. Contractions came on more slowly than before and things seemed to be progressing in a way that gave us all hope. Then, just as quickly as our hopes had mounted, they plummeted. Like before, I pushed and pushed but couldn't seem to budge the little lambkin. And exactly like the first time, I grew weak and began to drift in and out of consciousness. I could feel my heart breaking, my hopes shattering everywhere at once. I just wanted it to end. Forever. I wanted to fade to black and stay there. "Shi, don't leave me. Ashira!" I opened my eyes. Dolphus' face was mere inches from mine. "Valame is going to try something, but we need you to stay with us." I shook my head. "I can't." "Yes, you can. You must." "I'm so tired." "I know, Shi. But you must keep trying." I felt movement in my belly, like the cosset was shifting somehow. I winced in pain, blackness threatening to take me. "Shi!" My eyes opened once again. "Remember how I told you I used to watch you from the cliff?" I frowned and nodded. "I knew then, Shi. That you were my mate. From the first moment I saw you, I knew." I remembered that he'd told me that I was still pretty young when he first saw me. "But I was..." "It didn't matter." Valame's voice cut in, "Dolphus..." "I need you to push now, my sweet mate. Just one more time." I took a deep breath and bared down with all my strength. That was all it took. Less than five minutes later, I was holding a squirming, crying, bloody mess of a lambkin. A baby satyress. Only one thought popped into my mind. "I only have boy names picked out." Everyone but me seemed to think that was funny. *** We'd been doubly blessed by not only successfully breeding, but having a female. We decided to name her Mari. It was a derivative of what I really wanted to name her, and that was Martina. All satyr names were two beats, or syllables. It was a customary practice from ancient times to signify that they stood on two feet, no more. Mari's appearance surprised everyone. Her horns were little more than nubs, hidden by her very long, straight, black hair. Unlike my unruly, coarse mane, hers was silky soft. The slightest breeze lifted it in a lovely dance around her. The fur along her satyr legs was similar, not wavy or curly like other satyrs, but straight, shiny black hair that felt luxurious to the touch. And her eyes were not green, as we had expected. They were more of a hazel color. We couldn't make sense of how that happened until Father saw her for the first time. He said that her face, with the exception of the satyr-like features, was eerily similar to my mother's. Especially her eyes. And her straight, silky fur was most likely also from my Sibian mother whose own hair was similar in texture. I loved stroking her hair when she nursed in those first few weeks. Most lambkin only stayed with their mother to nurse for the first week, but since we induced labor so early, it was necessary to nurse for longer. I didn't mind at all. I adored holding her next to me. It was short-lived, though. While she may have acquired many physical traits from my side of the family, she most definitely inherited her father's stubbornness and independence. Once she was solidly on her feet, she had very little to do with me, only nursing when it was absolutely necessary, and only the bare minimum, at that. "She's a fussy eater, like her mother." "I'm not a fussy eater." Dolphus snorted. "She's stubborn like you, too." "I think she got that from your side as much as mine." "Fair enough." "She's stunning, though. Isn't she? I mean, it's not just because I'm her mother and I love her that I think that. She really is something." "That, she is. You mustn't tell her so all the time, though." "Why not? Girls need to hear things like that." "They do? I suppose you are now expecting me to tell you that you are the most stunning creature of them all?" "No." I shot Dolphus a sidelong glance and noticed his smirk. "But you can if you want." Dolphus was not one to shower others with adoration. He came close with Mari, but only when she was very young. I had to settle for what I knew in my heart to be true. He cared for me very deeply and he desired me over all others. That was going to have to be enough. Mari weaned herself completely as soon as Spring arrived. I was worried that she was starving herself, but the other satyresses eased my fears. Females established their independence earlier than males. She did take to following Dolphus around, though. There was one thing for certain, she'd inherited his keen business sense and she showed an interest in flock affairs at a very early age. She was mature beyond her years. While other lambkin her age were running through fields playing tag and hide-and-seek, she was content to watch over the military training. She could also be found next to Zira surveying the surrounding area for possible food sources. I knew it was probably the proud mother in me that thought this, but I was certain we were observing a future alpha satyress. We received news of several attacks on Sibiu from my father and Valame. They were conducted more like raids than anything else, the primary purpose to acquire food and other necessities. While they were essentially non-violent, they did cause some injuries to unsuspecting bystanders. The agricultural outpost was hit hardest, leaving Sibiu with hardly enough fresh fruits and vegetables to go around. The only citizens who didn't suffer were the grossly rich, Grachhus being one of them. Aeron was growing more certain that he was behind it. Dolphus disagreed, however. He'd never thought Grachhus was capable of organizing and motivating a group as large as the rebel force was becoming. And he thought Grachhus too greedy to fund such an effort. Especially since there was no motivation for it. He was already the second most powerful man in Sibiu, the most powerful if you considered his wealth. He didn't need help to take over Sibiu, he already had. I'd come to learn of the underlying dichotomy of the city. On the one side, the council and clergy were religious extremists. Their fundamentalist mentality was behind their strict laws, and further, promoted intolerance of all species and races outside of their own. This was the very fabric of the Sibian culture, the side readily apparent by all who lived there and visited. The other side, the undercurrent that no one saw, and one I was completely unaware of until Loomis and Dolphus enlightened me, was just as extreme. It was the corrupt side of Sibiu, which included gambling, prostitution, slave trade, and pedophilia. It was the counterbalance to the fanaticism. Just how these two diverse cultures co-existed in one city was a product of split power, each side having an equal share. Grachhus ruled the underworld from his posh, three-story, stone mansion right beside Ignatius who ran the Sibiu council. Neither one bothered the other as long as the money kept rolling in. It wouldn't have surprised me to discover that on occasion they even dined together and plotted with one another. As much as I despised Grachhus, I began to see that Ignatius was even a more despicable character. He pretended to be moral and just, when he was anything but. Grachhus didn't pretend to be anything except the slimy, greedy creature that he was. While Sibiu affairs was an interesting topic to study, it had little bearing on our own flock. We watched from afar and pondered the attacks with mild interest. And we continued to prepare our young bucks in the event of an attack. On the positive side, no satyr had been attacked since my encounter with the rebels. Of course, rather than this elevating my status, it made my little battle cry, "stop hunting satyrs" the punchline of many a joke. One of the adolescents even jokingly suggested we post signs around the mountain since it worked so well. August marked my two-year anniversary with Dolphus. We celebrated like a human couple might. Sex. Our zeal for one another hadn't waned a bit, but part of that was because we were constantly adding elements to make things interesting. Dolphus had grown fond of watching me play with myself. That day that he had walked in on me sparked something inside him, and we found ourselves replaying that scene many times. He often liked to direct me on what to do, stopping just before climax to send me into a lustful fit. Then he'd make me crawl across the floor to him. Sometimes he lost patience and mounted me halfway there, sometimes he directed me to lick his cock. He liked being in charge. What was strange was that in those situations, I liked it, too. For me, though, I'd found myself most turned on by the very things that made me uncomfortable. Being watched, for example. I enjoyed the risk of being caught by others. The climax I'd had on that trail at the commencement of mating season, with those two adolescents watching, was by far the most powerful. There were other factors at play there. It was mating season, and we hadn't coupled in the week prior, so it wasn't just being on exhibition that caused it, but it was a very big part of it. I reasoned that it was likely due to my strict Sibian upbringing. Modesty, propriety, were paramount. Dolphus didn't care who was around, with the possible exception of Aeron. He was unsure how Aeron would react to Dolphus embracing his human side so readily. After all, satyrs only engaged in mating once a year. We never stopped. I was giddy about the upcoming mating season. We were mates now, so no one would approach either of us. It was a relief. We could relax and wait for it to begin. I didn't have to stay hidden away and Shala was out of the picture. It would be Mari's first experience with it. She wasn't old enough to participate, but she'd witness it firsthand. Satyrs didn't pull the wool over their youth's eyes like Sibians. A few days before the fever spread, there was an attack on Sibiu. This time lives were lost. Among the list was Grachhus. While this was a shock to Aeron, and others who'd believed as he did that Grachhus was behind the rebel force, it was not the least bit surprising to Dolphus. I listened in on their council meeting as I braided Mari's hair. "It was too direct of a hit for them not to be targeting Grachhus, specifically. They knew which domicile was his, and precisely how to get in." Aeron glanced nervously across the field at Lena and then turned his attention back to Dolphus. "Agreed. Do you think Ignatius had anything to do with it?" "I'm not sure. What would be his motivation?" "Eliminate the degenerates." "I don't think so. He benefits from their presence as much as Grachhus did. It makes Sibians feel they need moral law." Both satyrs were silently pondering the possibilities when Mari's little voice spoke up. "Maybe they wanted to get Ignatius, too, but missed." I tugged at Mari's braid, "Shhh." The entire satyr council turned toward us to stare. "I'm so sorry. Mari, why don't you go help Faustus. I'm sure he's in some trouble by now." She scrambled off my lap to skip toward the satyress group. Lena crossed paths with her as she made her way toward me and the council. I twisted back in place in time to spy Aeron admiring her as she approached. I knew why she was staying near. Mating season was at hand and many new bachelors had come of age. If she strayed too far from Aeron, she'd find herself impregnated by one of them. It was also why Aeron was so preoccupied at the moment. I was so glad I didn't have to worry about any of that. "She could be right, you know." Dolphus was ever the proud father. "Perhaps we've been trying to make this too complicated. It could be a simple takeover, nothing more." "By whom?" There were as many questions as theories. With Sibiu's future uncertain, every member of the council seemed tense about not having more answers. They were our closest neighbors. What if the new faction was less tolerant than the current one? It was unlikely but still possible. What if they wanted to take over the mountainous range we called home? I was beginning to rue my decision to listen in on the council discussion. I didn't like knowing so much about everything. It gave me a headache. I reached up and felt my forehead for fever. I wasn't entirely sure that it was the council meeting causing my headache. My skin felt warm to the touch and I was beginning to wonder if I wasn't coming down with something. Then it dawned on me. "Oh!" Curious eyes fixed on me. I glanced sideways to spy Lena swaying with fever in much the same way that I was. Females felt the change in their bodies while males scented it from the females. Just how I was able to feel it was still a bit of a mystery. Not that I would be afforded time to ponder it, the males were seconds from picking up the scent. My heart pounded a jungle rhythm in my chest. We weren't alone. This was a sizable group and Aeron was present. Just as that last thought crossed my mind, Aeron leaped from the platform he was standing on to tackle Lena. His cock hammered into her with blinding speed and force. Lena fought him even as her flushed cheeks indicated that she wanted it. I couldn't take my eyes off them as I accepted my own mate's advances. With the same blinding rhythm, we mated beside them. Aeron's grunts and groans seemed to send Dolphus into a frenzy. He clawed at my hips until they were close to bleeding, then bit at the flesh on my back until I screamed in agony. He'd never been so rough with me, even our first time. My insides exploded in spasming release around his cock. I clawed at the ground as my body shuddered. I could feel Dolphus' seed trickling down my inner thighs. He'd already released but was continuing to take me. I climaxed again. And then once more as he reached his second apex. I caught a glimpse of Zira arriving and watched Aeron withdraw from Lena to mate with Zira. I checked Lena's expression for any signs of jealousy. I saw nothing but lust. She waited for her turn as if it were the most normal thing in the world. To her, it was. She'd never had Aeron to herself. Her attachment to him was emotional and this wasn't about feelings, it was about breeding. Propagating the species. I had trouble separating the emotional from the physical. Our mating was a solidification of our commitment to one another. It bound us together. I loved Dolphus just as much when he drew blood in a fit of passion, as when he cuddled with me in bed at night. I liked both activities, although, truth be told, mating season was my favorite time of year.